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Prompts BusyBox on Windows Setup Guide

agent tool_use skill risk: medium

BusyBox on Windows Setup Guide

The prompt instructs to check for busybox.exe, run PowerShell commands to detect CPU and OS version if absent, download a matching BusyBox build from frippery.org, and prefix UNIX…

  • External action: high

SKILL 1 file

SKILL.md
---
name: busybox-on-windows
description: "How to use a Win32 build of BusyBox to run many of the standard UNIX command line tools on Windows."
---
BusyBox is a single binary that implements many common Unix tools.

Use this skill only on Windows. If you are on UNIX, then stop here.

Run the following steps only if you cannot find a `busybox.exe` file in the same directory as this document is. 
These are PowerShell commands, if you have a classic `cmd.exe` terminal, then you must use `powershell -Command "..."` to run them.
1. Print the type of CPU: `Get-CimInstance -ClassName Win32_Processor | Select-Object Name, NumberOfCores, MaxClockSpeed`
2. Print the OS versions: `Get-ItemProperty "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion" | Select-Object ProductName, DisplayVersion, CurrentBuild`
3. Download a suitable build of BusyBox by running one of these PowerShell commands:
   - 32-bit x86 (ANSI): `$ProgressPreference = 'SilentlyContinue'; Invoke-WebRequest -Uri https://frippery.org/files/busybox/busybox.exe -OutFile busybox.exe`
   - 64-bit x86 (ANSI): `$ProgressPreference = 'SilentlyContinue'; Invoke-WebRequest -Uri https://frippery.org/files/busybox/busybox64.exe -OutFile busybox.exe`
   - 64-bit x86 (Unicode): `$ProgressPreference = 'SilentlyContinue'; Invoke-WebRequest -Uri https://frippery.org/files/busybox/busybox64u.exe -OutFile busybox.exe`
   - 64-bit ARM (Unicode): `$ProgressPreference = 'SilentlyContinue'; Invoke-WebRequest -Uri https://frippery.org/files/busybox/busybox64a.exe -OutFile busybox.exe`

Useful commands:
- Help: `busybox.exe --list`
- Available UNIX commands: `busybox.exe --list`

Usage: Prefix the UNIX command with `busybox.exe`, for example: `busybox.exe ls -1`

If you need to run a UNIX command under another CWD, then use the absolute path to `busybox.exe`.

Documentation: https://frippery.org/busybox/
Original BusyBox: https://busybox.net/

## When to Use
This skill is applicable to execute the workflow or actions described in the overview.

## Limitations
- Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.
- Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.
- Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.

REQUIRED CONTEXT

  • Windows OS
  • PowerShell availability

ROLES & RULES

  1. Use this skill only on Windows.
  2. If you are on UNIX, then stop here.
  3. Run the following steps only if you cannot find a `busybox.exe` file in the same directory as this document is.
  4. if you have a classic `cmd.exe` terminal, then you must use `powershell -Command "..."` to run them.
  5. Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.
  6. Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.
  7. Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.

EXPECTED OUTPUT

Format
markdown
Constraints
  • include architecture-specific download commands
  • prefix commands with busybox.exe
  • stop if not on Windows

QUALITY

OVERALL
0.78
CLARITY
0.85
SPECIFICITY
0.90
REUSABILITY
0.65
COMPLETENESS
0.80

IMPROVEMENT SUGGESTIONS

  • Add explicit success criteria or verification step after download (e.g., check that busybox.exe --help works).
  • Clarify whether the skill should be re-invoked on subsequent runs or only once.

USAGE

Copy the prompt above and paste it into your AI of choice — Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, or anywhere else you're working. Replace any placeholder sections with your own context, then ask for the output.

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